SD Bound in the am.

[pumper317]

Thought I would express my excitement on this forum... Headed to SD for mulies tomorrow am. Going just West of Chamberlin. Hopefully can find something out there. It is Private land, so that helps a little. I will fill in details when I get home next week. Safe huntingladies and gents.

[picksbigwagon]

Good Luck this week, take pictures and most of all, Have fun!

[leechlake]

I was out there the past weekend and came home yesterday. The bucks weren't really too excited about the does until Sunday when it got cold and snowed a bit, that seemed to push things a bit.

Your timing looks excellent!

[NoWiser]

Good luck!! Can't wait to see some pictures when you get back.

I'm heading on my first mulie hunt on Friday, but I'm heading to Montana.

[jeff127]

Good luck! My brother and I are heading out to Sturgis tomorrow afternoon to chase whitetails for a few days.

[pumper317]

Hey all,

Back from SD empty handed... Cooking tag soup tonight. Had a nice 9 point whitetail at 175 yards, but opted to pass, since it was 3 hours into the hunt. Waiting for a mulie to show... None did. We saw a TON of deer and some darn nice bucks, but they were all a mile plus away. I walked the entire 880 acres of prime country, and did not jump a deer. Next year, going for whitetails, with a bonus mulie if it happens. Saw 5 bucks in one spot we checked on this guys land, and the biggest was a stud, and one other really nice one, and then a few dinkers. Just really cool to see, and so different than hunting the big woods. Either way, great trip, and one I hope I get to do again. Good hunting to all of you.

[JJensen]

It is way differnt then minnesota. Weird when you can see deer 3 miles away.

[jeff127]

hey pumper that blows you couldnt connect last weekend. It is definately fun hunting out there. I was in meade county east of sturgis and whitetail numbers are WAY down from what they were 2 years ago in the area we hunt. My bro first morning shot an 11 pnt and a doe. I saw 5 does and a small 8 pnt. We never saw a deer fri or sat hunting 300 acres of prime timbered area. I found 6 dead deer on the property, 2 were fairly nice bucks. The weather didnt help and really didnt notice any real rut activity. 95 percent of the does(whitetail) we saw driving around midday and sun morning were alone.

[pumper317]

Jeff,

We saw tons of rutting activity, not one doe without a buck sniffing her hind end. Lots of whitetails running around there too... More than I thought. They just were not where I could get at them. Maybe next time right? That is why they call it hunting. But I tell you, I would love to actually punch some tags rather than eat the soup. Wisconsin, ND, and now SD without punching a tag. Not all this year, but still its getting old. It will not keep me from going however;-)

[CANOPY SAM]

Jeff. Out of curiosity, any idea why you found the 6 dead deer on such a small piece of property? That sounds really unusual.

[hockeybc69]

Probably EHD.

http://gfp.sd.gov/wildlife/diseases/epizootic-hemorrhagic-disease.aspx

A rancher on the QDMA forums that is in northern Nebraska found over 100 dead deer on his property this fall.

[Musky Buck]

That sucks 2 good bucks just dead, 4 others, how long before that enters MN or has it already ? EHD don't like the sounds of it turning a healthy deer into a dead 1. I'm starting to get this odd feeling that there may come a day when deer hunting becomes ? Lets see heavy wolves,bad winter,EHD,CWD,Bovine Tub., etc. Is there trouble on the horizon maybe ? Anyway, I wish you luck hunting and enjoy the stories about the Dakota's and deer hunting, please keep them coming.

[reddog]

Pumper,

Just west of Chamberlain, is the "fringe" of Muley territory and the big ones get shot early..... possibly real early... That may have been your only option as far as available land to access, but the whitetail hunting there is supreme.

I would guess that EHD was what killed the deer found dead. West river was hit hard with it.

[creepworm]

That sucks 2 good bucks just dead, 4 others, how long before that enters MN or has it already ? EHD don't like the sounds of it turning a healthy deer into a dead 1. I'm starting to get this odd feeling that there may come a day when deer hunting becomes ? Lets see heavy wolves,bad winter,EHD,CWD,Bovine Tub., etc. Is there trouble on the horizon maybe ? Anyway, I wish you luck hunting and enjoy the stories about the Dakota's and deer hunting, please keep them coming.

It is not something that can be spread deer to deer. It is spread by a flea like midge that bites the deer and within 48 hours they are dead. Drought years it is more prevalent and they often grow in the mud left behind by drying up creeks and other stagnant water. I know there have been past outbreaks, one in western ND last year and one in Montana a few years back. It is just something that happens.

[jeff127]

creepworm hit it on the head. EHD (or possibly bluetongue) was most likely the culprit----droughts are what brings on the large deer kills as the deer congragate near water and the midges like the mud on the receding banks. The 6 I found were the ones I stumbled on going to and from spots I was sitting so i am sure there were plenty more. I talked to several SD bioligists before I left and areas near where we were headed had been hit(some severely) but until you get out there you just don't know.